Hi, I'm a 23 year old female and I was just diagnosed with IBS last week. I can't say enough how freaked out I am... I'm been in pain for 3 weeks and it's getting worse. I'm currently living and studying in China which makes things even more stressful... I'm consulting with an English speaking doctor but I feel posting here might give me answers he can't give me. For those who have had IBS for some time now, does the pain ever go away? I've been having problems sleeping and I havn't been to class in 3 weeks. I can't sit up for more than 20 minutes without feeling like I've been stabbed. How do you manage the pain? Any ways I can manage for a few hours a day to at least attend classes? What foods should I keep away from? The doctor has put me on a strict diet for about a week now but I am a bit hoping I'll be able to eat something that has more taste than white rice really soon... And well.... what treatments are possible outside of Dicitel tablets? I only started those tablets 2 days ago but the pain seems to be increasing, not decreasing.. I will be seeing my doctor about this in 2 days but I'm wondering if there are other medical treatments or natural alternatives that work?